Natural resources: petroleum, fish, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 77%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 9%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 14%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues: pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by
ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens
contamination of aquifers
natural hazards: hurricanes (especially June to October); periodic
landslides
international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity,
Hazardous Wastes
Geographic note: easternmost Caribbean island
People ———
Population: 257,030 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (male 31,263; female 29,822)
15-64 years: 66% (male 83,565; female 86,697)
65 years and over: 10% (male 9,929; female 15,754) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.26% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 15.29 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)